exertion = exercise?

[Mark Mandel]

I think Alison was referring to the inversion of arguments in "shield
information from the American people".

Mark Mandel


On Fri, Nov 14, 2008 at 9:58 AM, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net> wrote:

> One of the two primary senses of "exertion" in the OED is "2. The
> action or habit of exerting or putting into active operation (an
> organ, the faculties, or habit of the body or mind); the action of
> exercising or putting in force (power, a principle). Also an instance
> of this. Const. of."
>
> The Bush action sounds like exercising a principle (however misguided) to
> me.
>
> Joel
>
> At 11/13/2008 07:57 PM, Alison Murie wrote:
> >     "The Bush administration overstepped in its exertion of executive
> >privilege, and may very well try to continue to shield information
> >from the American people after it leaves office," said Senator Sheldon
> >Whitehouse.........
> >This looks logical, but it isn't the usual usage, surely?
> >AM
>

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